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If you’re looking for that once-in-a-lifetime renovation for the kitchen of your dreams, you’ll surely want a company that has your best interest in mind. “We’re unique in the fact that we still do things the old-fashioned way,” says Al Carlson, designer and salesperson, Blue Moon, Inc., a company specializing in kitchens and vanities. “Customers are never rushed and we take the time to meet their needs and see that the job is done right. We are dedicated to maintaining a consistent level of great customer service.”

The kitchen renovation process typically begins with a Blue Moon kitchen designer coming to the home to get measurements and find out exactly what the homeowners want for their kitchen. “Do they want to just change the cabinets and leave the original design, or are they looking for a complete redo?” says Carlson. “Sometimes homeowners need a lot of help in figuring out exactly what would meet their needs and we can guide them through the process.”

After the measurements are completed, the designer brings the information back to the store and completes a computerized design, based on the measurements and the changes that the homeowner is requesting. “Our computerized design is a 3-D rendering of what their new kitchen will look like, and we can either print it or email it to the customer for review,” says Carlson.

The company’s kitchen designs are always based on the customer’s specific needs. The Blue Moon design team works closely with homeowners to determine what changes to their kitchen would best suit their lifestyle. “I always give my clients some homework to do,” says Carlson. “I tell them to count their drawers and see which ones are being used. If they have eight, but two of them are junk drawers, then it doesn’t make sense to have 10 new drawers installed. They’ll just wind up with four junk drawers since they only needed six to begin with.”

To use space most efficiently, Carlson says the design team literally goes cabinet by cabinet through the homeowner’s current kitchen to see what they need to store, and then comes up with a workable solution that fulfills their storage needs. “Everybody has appliances they would use more often if they could reach them easily, so we make sure the new kitchen incorporates the appropriate changes,” he adds.

Kitchen Trends
When it comes to the latest trends, Carlson points out that homeowners want their kitchens to be warmer and more complementary to the other rooms of the home. “The stark white kitchens are no longer as popular; more people want stained woods like maple or cherry,” he adds. “It’s a richer, warmer look.”

Consequently, it is also popular for homeowners to install something other than a microwave over their oven range. They prefer a wooden hood, which has a furniture-like look and matches the natural woods used throughout the rest of the kitchen. The microwave is often going into an island or base cabinet in today’s kitchens, notes Carlson. “It’s just another way homeowners are making their kitchens feel more like a cozy room,” he says. “One of the main reasons is that the kitchen has become the primary entertaining zone. Guests gather around the island and spend most of their time there.”

While Carlson says keeping up with the latest design trends is an exciting aspect of the job, his favorite part is making a homeowner’s dreams come true. “I love running into customers and hearing about how much they love their new kitchen, months or even years after we completed it,” he says. “I’ve gotten so many new customers from referrals. One time when I was having a meal at Denny’s, a woman came over and gave me a big hug; it turns out we had remodeled her kitchen. The next thing you know, the guy in the booth behind me wants my number and we ended up doing his kitchen, too.”

In this business, Carlson says you really have to listen to what the customer wants and translate those wants into their new kitchen. The result is a winner every time and the reason why Blue Moon Kitchens has so many happy customers.

Blue Moon, Inc., is now offering one-year, no interest, no payments on Omega/Dynasty cabinetry. See the company’s ad for more details. Blue Moon, Inc., is located at 390 Lincoln Ave., Hatboro. For more information, visit www.bluemoonkitchens.com or call 215-442-0208.